Loop tie for concrete forming panel systems

ABSTRACT

A tie rod suitable for use with known concrete forming systems is constructed from a non-metal fiber, such as fiberglass, that is wound about a pair of opposed thimble elements. The resultant tie rod is as strong as a metal tie rod without the drawbacks of conventional metal tie rods. Each of the thimble elements has a main body having a channel formed in an outer surface of the main body, and the fiberglass fiber is disposed within the channel when wound thereabout.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/252,281, entitled LOOP TIE FOR CONCRETE FORMING PANEL SYSTEMS, filedJan. 18, 2019, which claims priority to U.S. provisional patentapplication No. 62/619,545, entitled LOOP TIE FOR CONCRETE FORMING PANELSYSTEMS, filed on Jan. 19, 2018, the contents of each of which areherein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional concrete walls may be created by pouring concrete into asuitable concrete form. As is known in the art, concrete foundationwalls are generally poured between two sets of concrete forms disposedin essentially parallel relationship and defining therebetween a channelhaving a dimension for the desired thickness of the concrete wall. Suchopposed, spaced apart walls are generally held in a fixed relationshiprelative to each other against the immense weight of any poured concreteby tie-wires and turnbuckle assemblies having abutment surfaces againstwhich a locking or latching arm on adjacent form sections abut. Onceassembled into the shape of the wall, wet concrete is poured into thechannel formed between the concrete forms and allowed to dry. Theconcrete forms typically comprise multiple form panels, which may forexample be formed of wood, metal or any other suitable well knownmaterial. The height of the form panel may vary by application.

Multiple form panels may be placed side-by-side in order to construct awall of a desired length. Because the wet poured concrete takes theshape of the forms in which it is placed, the finished concrete wallcorresponds in configuration to the assembled form. Therefore, it isimportant to align precisely the panels composing the concrete form inorder to ensure that the finished wall has the desired appearance andstrength.

The concrete forming systems can also employ tie-rods that are disposedbetween aligned panels in order to keep the panels properly spaced apartand to ensure that the panels are coupled to each other in a securemanner. The tie rods extend through openings formed in the spaced apartform panels and hold the sections against relative movement toward eachother. The tie-rods may extend outwardly of the sections by a selectedamount as is known in the art. The portion of the tie-rods that extendbeyond the panel forms typically include a flattened or coined sectionthat is adapted to engage with the latch that is coupled to the panelbar. Once the concrete is poured between the panel forms and allowed tocure, the portion of the tie rods that extend beyond the concrete wallscan be snapped off.

Conventional tie rods are typically formed of metal, such as steel.However, the prior art has also designed systems that employ fiberglassties in the shape of linear rods. The fiberglass tie rods are typicallyformed of fiberglass fibers that are all essentially disposed parallelto each other and hence extend in a longitudinal direction. The rods canbe coupled to the concrete forms according to known techniques.According to a first known system and method, the fiberglass tie rodscan have a thread formed thereon so as to accept a correspondingfastening nut. A drawback of these types of rods is that it is expensiveto grind the threads into the finished rod, and the fastening nuts canbe difficult to attach at times.

According to another known system and method, the fiberglass rod can besecured to the form panels using complex and expensive fasteninghardware. The hardware can include a bearing plate, a tensioning nut,and a barrel and jaw assembly that employs a wedge shaped gripper togrip the exposed end of the tie rod. A drawback of this type of hardwareis that it is expensive, labor intensive, prone to rusting, and overtime can be difficult to use. Further, the hardware when removedtypically needs to be cleaned and maintained in order to remove excessconcrete therefrom.

Another form of non-metallic tie used a fiberglass strip similar in formto conventional metal flat ties. However, a drawback of ties of thistype are that they are significantly lower in strength relative toconventional metal ties, and leaves a larger exposed end in the face ofthe wall when the exposed portion of the tie is removed. Further, thesetypes of ties have poor water sealing capabilities and make it difficultto user a water stopping element, such as round rubber washer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a tie rod, such as a loop tie rod,suitable for use with known concrete forming systems. The tie rod isconstructed from a non-metal fiber, such as fiberglass, that is woundabout a pair of opposed thimble elements. The resultant tie rod is asstrong as metal tie rod without the drawbacks of conventional metal tierods. The tie rod of the present invention has selected advantages overconventional metal tie rods. For example, the fiberglass tie rod createsa thermal break between the end portions of the tie rod. Also, non-metalfiber, such as fiberglass, has thermal expansion characteristics thatare more closely matched with concrete, such that the concrete bondsbetter to the tie rod of the present invention. This prevents orsignificantly reduces water pathways that may develop between oppositewall surfaces of the concrete wall.

The tie rod of the present invention is suitable for use with concreteforming systems and include first and second thimble elements, acontinuous fiber wound between the first and second thimble elements toform the tie rod, wherein each of the thimble elements has a main bodyhaving a channel formed in an outer surface of the main body, andwherein the fiberglass fiber is disposed within the channel when woundthereabout. The fiber is wound about the thimble element a selectednumber of times ranging between about 8 times and about 35 times.

The channel in the thimble elements has a width of between about 0.175inches and about 0.22 inches, and is preferably about 0.20 inches. Themain body of the tie rod has a generally horse-shoe shape, which hasether an open or a closed end. The main body can also include anoptional tab portion that extends outwardly therefrom from one end andone side surface of the thimble element. The tab portion is preferablylocated at a position opposite a closed end of the main body. The outersurface of the main body of the tie rod has the channel formed thereinand includes an opposed inner surface. The inner surface can include anoptional fin element.

The continuous fiber of the present invention can be formed offiberglass, and can be optionally coated with a curing agent. The curingagent can comprise an epoxy resin material.

The present invention can also be directed to a method of forming a tierod suitable for use with a concrete forming system. The method caninclude providing first and second thimble elements, wherein each of thethimble elements has a main body having a channel formed in an outersurface thereof, winding a continuous fiber between the first and secondthimble elements such that the fiber is disposed within the channel ofeach thimble element to form an uncured tie rod, curing the uncured tierod to form a cured tie rod, and placing the cured tie rod under tensionfor a selected period of time to form the tie rod.

The step of curing the uncured tie rod comprises heating the uncured tierod for a selected period of time. The step of heating can furthercomprise heating the uncured tie rod for between about 1 and about 2hours, and at a temperature of between about 250° F. and about 300° F.

The present invention can also include the step of optionally coatingthe fiber with a curing agent. Optionally, the fiber is pre-coated witha curing agent prior to winding the fiber about the first and secondthimbles.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the presentinvention contemplates and can include any combination of the foregoingfeatures or elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will bemore fully understood by reference to the following detailed descriptionin conjunction with the attached drawings in which like referencenumerals refer to like elements throughout the different views. Thedrawings illustrate principals of the invention and, although not toscale, show relative dimensions.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a metal, frame based concrete formingsystem suitable for employing the tie rod of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is partial sectional view of adjacent concrete forming systemsemploying mounting hardware, such as wedge bolts, and the tie rod of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the wedge bolt of FIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the tie rod of the present invention.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views of the thimble portion of the tierod of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the thimble portion of the tie rodof the present invention along line 7-7 of FIG. 6 .

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the thimble portion of the tie rodof the present invention along line 8-8 of FIG. 6 .

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the thimble portion of the tie rod ofthe present invention illustrating the tab portion of the thimble.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the tie rod of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a front view of another embodiment of the thimble element ofthe present invention.

FIG. 12 is a side view of the thimble element of FIG. 11 .

FIG. 13A is a schematic block diagram illustrating the winding machineemployed for winding the fiber to create the tie rod of the presentinvention.

FIG. 13B is a flowchart diagram illustrating the steps for forming thetie rod of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

There exists in the art metal, frame-based, panel type concrete formingsystems and associated hardware, such as fillers and wedge bolts, forforming concrete walls of any size and shape. An example of acommercially available metal concrete forming system is the Steel-PlyConcrete Forming System from Dayton Superior Corp. The illustrated metalconcrete forming system 10 includes a steel frame 12 that can employ ametal or wood facing 14. As shown in FIGS. 1-3 , the metal frame 12 hasa pair of vertical side rails 16, 18 forming left and right side railsand a pair of horizontal side rails 20, 22 forming the top and bottomrails. Further, a plurality of horizontal cross-member or support rails24 are formed between the two opposed side rails 16, 18 and help formsupports for the frame 12. The cross members 24 also have a cross-memberslot 26 formed therein adjacent to the side rails 16, 18. The facingmaterial 14, such as plywood, is attached to one face side of the frame12. The plywood 14 is typically used to form a smooth finish to theformed concrete wall. The vertical side rails 16, 18 both have sideslots 28 formed therein intermittently throughout the length of the siderail. The side slots 28 are adapted to accommodate a securing bolt, suchas a wedge bolt, as described further below. Further, the side rails 16,18 include a plurality of dado slots 30 formed therein adjacent to theside slots 28. Further, certain cross-members 24 can include a handle 32formed thereon to assist the user in lifting and manipulating the panel.

The metal form panels 12 can be placed adjacent to each other to formthe rough outline of the concrete wall to be formed. As shown in FIGS.2-3 , the adjacent panels 12 can be coupled together and to tie rods orties 70 disposed within the wall to be formed using a lock-bolt setcomprising first and second wedge bolts 34, 36, as is known in the art.In the current embodiment and example, the metal framing system employsloop style tie rods or ties. The first and second wedge bolts can beidentical if no filler parts are employed or can be differentlyconfigured if a filler part is employed, as is known. As shown, each ofthe wedge bolts 34, 36 has a main body 38 having a head portion 40 and awedge shaped body 42 extending therefrom. The wedge shaped body 42 has abolt slot 44 formed therein.

The dado slots 30, 30 formed in the side rails 18, 16 of adjacent panelsform an enclosure that is adapted to accommodate the protruding end ofan associated tie rod 70. The tie rod 70 is used to help strengthen thefinished wall that is formed. In metal concrete forming systems, the tierod can be either a loop tie or a flat tie. Conventional metal loop tieshave a main body that has a loop formed at both ends. These types ofties can also be conventionally referred to as panel or S-ties. Whenpositioned correctly between opposed forming panels, the loop ends ofthe tie are positioned between the dado slots 30 and is aligned with theside slots 28 formed in the side rails 16, 18. The first wedge bolt 34,such as a connecting wedge bolt, is slid into the side slot 28 formed inthe side rail 16, 18 and through the loop end of the tie. As such, thetapered end of the first wedge bolt 34 and specifically the bolt slot 44is exposed. The tapered end 42 of the second wedge bolt 36, such as aclamping wedge bolt, is disposed in the bolt slot 44 and also seatswithin the cross-member slot 26. The clamping bolt helps connecttogether the adjacent panels and also helps secure the tie rod.

The tie rod 70 is typically disposed between aligned panels in order tokeep the panels properly spaced apart and to ensure that the panels arecoupled to each other in a secure manner. The tie rod 70 extends throughopenings formed in the spaced apart form sections or panels and holdsthe sections against relative movement toward each other. The tie rodsmay extend outwardly of the concrete walls and if desired the formpanels by a selected amount as is known in the art. Once the concrete ispoured between the panel forms and allowed to cure, the portion of thetie rods that extend beyond the concrete walls can be removed.

A problem with conventional tie rods is that they can be relativelydifficult to position relative to the metal form panels. Further, theportion of the tie rods that extends beyond the formed and curedconcrete wall can be difficult to remove, or when snapped off, typicallydo not break off cleanly from the rest of the tie rod embedded in thewall. Further, in architectural environments where a clean andrelatively unmarked wall is important, the use of conventional metalloop or flat ties presents a problem. Currently, the portion of the tiesthat extend beyond the wall are snapped off or otherwise removed. Thisremoval process may serve to mar the formed concrete wall. Also, theportion of the tie that remains in the wall can be prone to rusting, andhence at a later time can mar the aesthetics of the finished wall.Further, the ties cannot be used in selected applications, such as sitesthat require non-magnetic features in the walls, such as medicalbuildings.

To address these and other issues of conventional metal loop ties, thetie rod 70 of the present invention can be formed of a material otherthan metal. According to one practice, the tie rod is non-metal, and canbe made for example from fibers formed of fiberglass, carbon, andpara-aramid synthetic fibers such as Kevlar. The material can be coated,if desired, with one or more other materials. For example, the fibermaterial can be pre-coated, coated as the fiber is wound about thethimble elements 90, or coated after the tie rod is formed using anysuitable material. The coating material can be used to bind the fiberwinds together or can be used as a curing or hardening agent. The tierod 70 of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 4-9 . The tierod of illustrated therein is a loop style tie rod, although other formsand configurations can be employed consistent with the teachings of thepresent invention. The illustrated loop tie rod 70 of the presentinvention has a main body 72 with a central linear region 74 and hasloops 76, 78 formed at opposed ends. The loops 76, 78 can be sized, ifdesired, to house a reinforcing element, such as thimble element 90.According to an alternate embodiment, the illustrated loop tie rod 70does not include the thimble element 90. The loop tie rod 70 ispreferably formed from a fiberglass material that can be, if desired,coated with a select material, such as a binding material. According toone embodiment, the fiberglass can be pre-coated or coated with anysuitable curing or hardening material, such as with an epoxy resinmaterial, such as that commercially available from TCR Composites, USA.The fiberglass is preferably a high strength glass fiber, although otherstrength types can be used. The fiberglass tie rod of the presentinvention has low thermal conductivity, and has a thermal expansioncoefficient similar to concrete, thus creating a better bond between thetie and concrete, which serves to improve the overall water sealingcapability of the tie. The fibers employed in the present invention,such as the fiberglass fibers, exhibit a tensile strength of betweenabout 300K PSI and about 530K PSI. The finished and cured tie rod 70preferably exhibits a tensile strength of around 6000 PSI. A key featureof the present invention is that the strength of the resultantfiberglass tie rod 70, in use, is able to significantly match thestrength of conventional metal loop ties.

The illustrated thimble element 90 has a main body 92 that is shaped ina manner similar to a horse-shoe shape that can have an open or closedend, and preferably has a closed end. The outer circumferential edge orsurface 94 of the main body has a channel 96 formed therein. The channelpreferably has a thickness or width of between about 0.175 inches andabout 0.22 inches, and preferably has a width of about 0.20 inches. Theinner surface 98 of the main body has an optional raised edge-likeprotrusion 100 that forms a fin feature or element. In an alternateembodiment, as shown in FIG. 9 , the thimble 90 can include a tab-likeprotrusion 102 that extends outwardly from the outer surface 94 of themain body 92. According to another practice, the floor of the channel 96can have a low friction coating or material applied thereto. Forexample, the channel can be coated with a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)material or with a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tape so as to reducethe frictional forces of the thimble 90. Further, the coating alsoserves to increase the overall strength of the tie rod 70.Alternatively, the thimble main body can be coated with any suitablematerial, such as with a tin-based material or PTFE. The thimble element90 of the present invention can be made from any suitable material,including from metal materials, such as from zinc-based alloys (e.g.,Zamak 3), steel, aluminum, magnesium alloy, carbon fiber,polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or plastic, or from combinations ofthese materials.

The illustrated loop tie rod 70 of the present invention can be formedby winding the fiber 114 (e.g., fiberglass material) using any suitablefiber or filament winding machine 110 about the opposed thimble elements90. For example, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the loop tie rod 70 hasassociated therewith the thimble elements 90, 90. The illustrated fiber114 can be wound about the thimble elements 90, 90 by the windingmachine according to known techniques, step 120. For example, the tierod 70 can be placed on or coupled to a rotating and/or translationalmandrel or support (not shown) and the fiber can be wound, undertension, between the opposed thimble elements. Alternatively, the fiberwinding machine 110 can be rotated about the tie rod. The loop tie rod70 thus includes one or more continuous glass fibers that are wound intothe desired shape of the loop tie. When the continuous fiber is woundabout the thimbles 90, 90, the fibers are preferably maintained undertension, such as between about 2 lbs and about 10 lbs pressure, and theoverwrap tension on the fiber when wound to create the overwrap isbetween about 5 lbs pressure and about 20 lbs pressure. The fiber iswound about the thimble elements a selected number of times rangingbetween about 8 times and about 35 times, depending upon the size andyield of the fiber. The fibers are wound between the thimbles until thechannel 96 is filled with the fibers. Upon completion, the tie rod canbe completed by optionally continuing to wind the fiber to create anoptional overwrap in the central region 74 of the tie. As is shown, thenumber of wraps of the fiber between the thimble elements 90, 90 can bespecified such that the fiber fills the channel 96 of the thimbleelement without extending beyond the confines of the channel.Optionally, the fiber can be wound further until the fiber extends pastthe confines of the channel 96, as shown in FIG. 4 .

The completed loop tie 70 is then removed from the supporting structure,step 122, and then cured by heating by placing the loop tie in anysuitable heating device for a selected duration of time and at aselected temperature, step 124. For example, according to oneembodiment, the loop tie is cured by being placed in a heating oven forabout 1 to about 2 hours, at a temperature of about 250° F. to about300° F., based on the type of material used. Those of ordinary skillwill readily recognize that the time and temperature can vary as afunction of the material type used to form the tie. Those of ordinaryskill will also recognize that UV-based epoxy resins can also be used,and hence can be cured using UV radiation rather than heat. Oncecompleted, the finished tie can be placed on a tensioning device orframe (not shown) which keeps the cured loop tie under tension so as toalign and equalize the fibers for any suitable amount of time, step 126.

The illustrated tab portion 102 of the thimble 90 can help guide the tierod 70 through the dado slots 30 formed in the form panels 12 when thepanels are assembled. Further, the tab portion 102 can provide a visualindication or confirmation that a tie rod 70 is indeed in place when thepanels are all assembled, since it projects outwardly beyond the panelson the outside of the wall. Without the tab portion, there is no quickand easy way to visually confirm that a tie rod was not missed wheninstalling the panel forms. Those of ordinary skill will readilyrecognize that not all types of ties, including loop ties, are designedto provide an end portion that will readily pass through the panel formsand extend therebeyond to allow visual confirmation of placement. Thus,the tab extension 102 allows the fiberglass tie rod of the presentinvention to easily pass through the forms (e.g., the dado slots) andextend past the forms so as to easily viewable by the user.

Further, the optional ridge or fin element 100 formed along the innersurface 98 of the main body 92 is adapted to bear against the wedge bolt34, 36 that engages it when assembled in the panel system. The finelement 100 is sized and shaped such that it can deform, that is, giveway under load, in a predictable way and rate. In doing so, the finelement 100 allows the tie rod 70 to effectively lengthen to a limitedextent, which aids in equalizing the load shared with neighboring tierods, so that slight variations in length of the tie rods do not subjectthe shortest tie rod in a group to unwanted and undesirable stresses.Further, the ridge portion is a visual indicator and can act as forensicevidence of overloading of the tie rod ends of the tie in the event of ablowout of the wall when pouring. Similarly, the thimble element 90 canbe free of the fin element 100 and the main body portion of the thimbleelement that contacts the wedge bolts or other panel elements can deformat the point of contact, which is usually where the inner portion of thethimble element contacts the wedge bolts in an axial direction. Thisdeformation of the tie rod main body also serves to effectively lengthenthe overall length of the tie rod to a limited extent. Further, the tierod of the present invention can be configured to work with plywood formpanel systems, such as Resi-Ply concrete forming systems, and aluminumform panel systems.

The foregoing description may provide illustration and description ofvarious embodiments of the invention, but is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed.Modifications and variations of the tie rod of the present invention maybe possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired frompractice of the invention. For example, while a series of acts has beendescribed above, the order of the acts may be modified in otherimplementations consistent with the principles of the invention.Further, non-dependent acts may be performed in parallel.

In addition, one or more implementations consistent with principles ofthe invention may be implemented using one or more devices and/orconfigurations other than those illustrated in the Figures and describedin the Specification without departing from the spirit of the invention.One or more devices and/or components may be added and/or removed fromthe implementations of the figures depending on specific deploymentsand/or applications. Also, one or more disclosed implementations may notbe limited to a specific combination of hardware. Furthermore, certainportions of the invention may be implemented as logic that may performone or more functions. This logic may include hardware, such ashardwired logic, an application-specific integrated circuit, a fieldprogrammable gate array, a microprocessor, software, or a combination ofhardware and software.

No element, act, or instruction used in the description of the inventionshould be construed critical or essential to the invention unlessexplicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the article “a” isintended to include one or more items. Where only one item is intended,the term “a single” or similar language is used. Further, the phrase“based on,” as used herein is intended to mean “based, at least in part,on” unless explicitly stated otherwise. In addition, the term “user”, asused herein, is intended to be broadly interpreted to include, forexample, an electronic device (e.g., a workstation) or a user of anelectronic device, unless otherwise stated.

Further, the invention can be employed using any combination of featuresor elements as described above, and are not limited to the currentrecited steps or features.

It is intended that the invention not be limited to the particularembodiments disclosed above, but that the invention will include any andall particular embodiments and equivalents falling within the scope ofthe following appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A tie rod suitable for use with a concreteforming system, comprising first and second thimble elements, acontinuous fiber wound between the first and second thimble elements toform the tie rod, wherein each of the thimble elements has a main bodyhaving a channel formed in an outer surface of the main body, andwherein the continuous fiber is disposed within the channel when woundthereabout, wherein the channel of each of said thimble elements hasfirst and second opposed side walls and a bottom surface, and whereinthe bottom surface has a curved shape, and wherein the main body has atab portion that extends outwardly therefrom from one end of the thimbleelement.
 2. The tie rod of claim 1, wherein the channel has a width ofbetween about 0.175 inches and about 0.22 inches.
 3. The tie rod ofclaim 2, wherein the channel has a width of about 0.20 inches.
 4. Thetie rod of claim 1, wherein the main body of the tie rod has a generallyhorse-shoe shape.
 5. The tie rod of claim 4, wherein the main body has aclosed end region.
 6. The tie rod of claim 1, wherein the tab portion islocated at a position opposite a closed end of the main body.
 7. The tierod of claim 1, wherein the fiber is wound about the thimble elements aselected number of times ranging between about 8 times and about 35times.
 8. The tie rod of claim 4, wherein the main body comprises theouter surface having the channel formed therein and an inner surface,further comprising a fin element formed on the inner surface.
 9. The tierod of claim 1, wherein the fiber is formed of fiberglass.
 10. The tierod of claim 9, wherein the fiberglass fiber is coated with a curingagent.
 11. The tie rod of claim 10, wherein the curing agent comprisesan epoxy resin material.
 12. The tie rod of claim 1, wherein theconcrete forming system comprises a plurality of steel frames having, ina first orientation, a pair of vertical side rails and a plurality ofhorizontal support rails, wherein each of the vertical side rails has aplurality of side slots and a plurality of dado slots formed therein,and wherein each of the horizontal support rails has a support rail slotformed therein adjacent to one or more of the vertical side rails. 13.The tie rod of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of side slots andeach of the support rail slots are sized and configured for seating asecuring bolt.
 14. The tie rod of claim 13, wherein the securing bolt isa wedge shaped bolt.
 15. The tie rod of claim 12, wherein one or more ofthe dado slots of a first one of the plurality of frame members is inregistration with one or more of the dado slots of a second one of theplurality of frame members to form an enclosure that is sized andconfigured for allowing passage of the thimble element and for seating amain body of the thimble element.
 16. A concrete forming system,comprising a tie rod having first and second thimble elements, and acontinuous fiber wound between the first and second thimble elements toform the tie rod, wherein each of the thimble elements has a main bodyhaving a channel formed in an outer surface of the main body, andwherein the continuous fiber is disposed within the channel when woundthereabout, and wherein the channel of each of said thimble elements hasfirst and second opposed side walls and a bottom surface, and whereinthe bottom surface has a curved shape, a plurality of steel frameshaving, in a first orientation, a pair of vertical side rails and aplurality of horizontal support rails, wherein each of the vertical siderails has a plurality of side slots and a plurality of dado slots formedtherein, and wherein each of the horizontal support rails has a supportrail slot formed therein adjacent to one or more of the vertical siderails.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of sideslots and each of the support rail slots are sized and configured forseating a securing bolt.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein thesecuring bolt is a wedge shaped bolt.